Former Cove City fire chief guilty of embezzling from department

Friday

Jun 23, 2017 at 5:42 PM

Eddie Fitzgerald EFitzgeraldNBSJ

COVE CITY — Tony Banks, former Cove City Volunteer fire chief, was sentenced to 48 hours of community service and a year’s probation Friday after accepting a plea deal with the district attorney for embezzling from the department.

Banks, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of larceny for embezzling $6,000 from the fire department.

Banks cooperated with the investigation of the case before pleading guilty to one count of larceny. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail but the active time was suspended for one year of supervised probation and 48 hours of community service. He made restitution to Cove City Fire and Rescue of another $2,616.10, and to Craven County of $4,275 which was the cost of investigating the case.

The total amount of restitution to the fire company was $5,700.10.

Banks was fire chief in Cove City from 2012 to 2016. The missing money was discovered after an internal investigation in the fall of 2016.

After banks was confronted over the missing money, he made immediate repayment of approximately $3,100, according to published reports.

An additional $2,600 was also discovered missing from the department after the Craven County manager and finance director ordered an independent investigation, according to reports.

Banks cannot join any other fire department during his time on probation. He was replaced as chief of the Cove City Fire Volunteer Department in October by Joe Monette, who was interim chief at first before being voted permanent chief in January, according to published reports.

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